Commonwealth of Australia Explanatory Memoranda

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NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY BILL 2016

                                          2016




         THE PARLIAMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA




                           HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES



     NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY BILL 2016




               SUPPLEMENTARY EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM



              AMENDMENTS TO BE MOVED ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT




(Circulated by authority of the Minister for Resources, Energy and Northern Australia, the
                             Honourable Josh Frydenberg MP)
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITY BILL 2016

Amendments to be moved on behalf of the Government



OUTLINE
The Amendments to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Bill 2016 (the Bill) will
change the definition of Northern Australia at clause 5 of the Bill. The change expands the
definition in Western Australia to include the Statistical Areas Level 2 of Exmouth,
Carnarvon, as well as the Local Government Areas of Meekatharra and Wiluna.

FINANCIAL IMPACT
The Amendments will not alter the financial impact of the Bill.



NOTES ON AMENDMENTS

Amendment 1 - will insert in Clause 5 a definition of Local Government Area.

Amendment 2 - will omit from the definition of Northern Australia, in Clause 5, the word
'Exmouth' and substitute 'Meekatharra'.

Amendment 3 - will omit paragraphs (d) to (f) from the definition of Northern Australia, in
Clause 5, and substitute new paragraphs (d) to (f). New paragraph (d) adds the Statistical
Area Level 2 of Carnarvon to the definition of Northern Australia.

New paragraph (e) adds the Local Government Areas of Meekatharra and Wiluna to the
definition of Northern Australia.

Clause 5 provides definitions of the terms used throughout the Bill. The definition of
Northern Australia is made with reference to the Australian Bureau of Statistics' medium
sized areas (Statistical Area Level 2) and Local Government Areas. The definitions of these
boundaries are updated from time to time as new data becomes available.
STATEMENT OF COMPATIBILITY WITH HUMAN RIGHTS
Prepared in accordance with Part 3 of the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Amendment to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Bill 2016

The Amendments to the Bill are compatible with the human rights and freedoms recognised
or declared in the international instruments listed in section 3 of the Human Rights
(Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Overview

The Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility Bill (the Bill) will establish a Northern
Australia Infrastructure Facility (the Facility) to address gaps in the infrastructure financing
market for northern Australia. The Bill will also establish a statutory board (the Board) to
make the investment decisions for the Facility.

The proposed Bill will enable the Commonwealth to grants of financial assistance to the State
and Territory governments for the purposes of developing economic infrastructure in the
Northern Territory and northern parts of Western Australia and Queensland.

Human rights implications

The Amendments to the Bill do not engage any of the applicable rights or freedoms outlined
in the Human Rights (Parliamentary Scrutiny) Act 2011.

Conclusion
The Amendments are compatible with human rights as they do not raise any human rights
issues.